1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable keyboard system and, more particularly, to a portable keyboard system having a pair of opposing keyboards positioned in front of a user and secured around a user's neck.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Accordions are well known in the art. Accordions typically comprise a keyboard on one side and a plurality of buttons on the other. The two sides are connected by a bellows which the user expands and contracts to draw air through reed blocks controlled by the keyboard and buttons. Typically, the keyboard is a treble keyboard which raises valves on the reed block to select precisely where air passes through the reed block to generate various sounds. Accordions also may have treble switches to modify the sound as desired. The buttons are typically referred to as base buttons and are used to manipulate the valves which control the flow of air through a base reed block. Base switches are also typically provided to modify the sound associated with the base buttons. While accordions work well to produce a predefined sound, the unique nature of the base buttons often makes the instrument difficult to learn. The accordion is also limited to a particular sound. It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a portable instrument with a more familiar user interface and with the option of providing additional sounds.
It is also known in the art to provide a single keyboard around a musician's neck. Such “Keytars” are basically portable synthesizers. While the Keytar provides many options associated with synthesizers, including controls to modulate nearly every aspect of the sound, the Keytar provides only a short keyboard typically played with one hand. Although two hands may be used on the Keytar, the placement of the keyboard facing upward and toward one side of the user makes the use of a Keytar by both hands awkward. It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a musical instrument with a broader range of notes and which may be more easily played with both hands.
While accordions are played with both hands, they are often heavy, bulky and are taxing and difficult to operate. While Keytars avoid some of the problems associated with accordions, the small keyboard and difficulty in operating the keyboard with two hands limits the use of the Keytar. It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a musical instrument which is lightweight, easy to operate with both hands, is adaptable for ease of use for musicians trained in other instruments, such as the piano or synthesizer, and which is easily adaptable to provide a plurality of different sounds.